Should I panic?

Yesterday was an intense day - sort of.

I knew what had to be done on the customer quilt and I was able to get the first pass completed by lunchtime! Perfect. Right on track. But I also wanted to go for a walk so I bundled up and got the girls harnessed up and away we went. Taking them for a walk is always an adventure and I'm sure someday Lexi will recount the whole thing. It's not pretty - let's just put it that way. Oh - stopped at the library to pick up one book and came home with five!

Back to the house where I needed to get my act together so I could get that customer quilt finished. I did a little bit more and then thought I would take a break to piece the remainder of the other quilt. I whacked off the length needed for the side border (after measuring my quilt) and when I went to put it on, I had a mild panic attack. OH GOD - the quilt is way smaller than it's supposed to be. OK - smaller, not way smaller. What happened?

Then I remembered that we made the blocks smaller than the original submission and added three blocks. I was using the original version and made that number of blocks and had sewn them together. Oh, crude as the magazines need to approve any changes. It's was after 4 PM on a Friday - could I get in touch with the editor? YES - I called her directly and she picked up after a couple of rings. Thank goodness.  She was fine with the smaller size and I think it's actually better in the smaller size as it will look cool as a wall quilt. Thank you, Laurie, for saving my bacon. I did have extra fabric and could have whipped up those three extra blocks, but I had cut the length for the side border and if I needed to make the quilt longer, I would have had to piece that border which wasn't a big deal.

The big plus in all this?  I now have LESS quilt to quilt!!!  Yeah!!!!  It all worked out.

Back to the long arm where I said I would take a break at 6 PM or whenever I finished the quilting. I had one last block to quilt at 5:58 so I continued. My back was very tired yesterday - probably too much sewing/quilting the night before.

It's done!!!!

Customer quilt - DONE

I really like the swirly design in the white squares. Hope the customer does too!

But the other thing that has put me into a wee bit of a panic - not really, but now I'm really behind. I received an e-mail from another editor asking for the pattern for the quilt that I sent off last week. Pattern?  Some magazines require you to write the pattern and some don't. I didn't think that one needed me to write the pattern, but YES - I have to add that to the list.

My brain was working in overdrive while I was quilting that customer's quilt. 

DH wasn't home last night and I sure didn't feel like cooking for one, so I went out which is our usual for Friday night. I went to the spot that I like the best since it was just me. My entertainment was to watch a middle-aged lady in the next booth settle herself (and her husband) into their booth as they waited for the rest of their party to arrive. She's amusing herself by posing for selfies. Have you ever watched anyone take a selfie? Of course, you have. It's hilarious - the fake laugh - "oh look - we're at the restaurant having fun". After the camera is off - I don't think the two of them talked to each other (he wasn't in the picture either). I left before the rest of their party arrived. No one can accuse us of not talking in the restaurant - it's usually a one-sided conversation where I'm yakking about someone or something!!

While I was eating, I had my notebook out and I was making notes of what still has to be done. Quilts to be made, contracts to be signed, invoices to be prepped, blog posts to be written, and patterns to be written. You don't want to see the list, but I'll be happy to get back to the mornings of paperwork and the afternoons of quilting. This quilting all day is intense.

The good news in all this is that there are eight quilts left and 13 days to get them done (counting today because I plan to be working later this afternoon after I finish with my class). Three quilts still need to be made - one is partially together, one is super simple and the last one is a wee bit more complicated. The other good news is that I have NOTHING scheduled for next weekend whereas this weekend, I have a meeting, a class, and a sit n sew day.  It wasn't originally scheduled like that, but things had to be changed and well - it makes it a challenge.

I'm learning and seriously - after the 23rd, the workload will drop significantly. I won't have a machine to quilt, but I'll be able to catch up on paperwork and crank up the sewing machine!

Quilt show season is almost upon us!!  We need to get these dates marked on our calendars. The first quilt show is the Etobicoke Quilters' Guild quilt show. The dates are March 23 and 24 at Neilson Park Creative Centre. This is always a great show - don't miss it!!!!  Check out the link for further information. I've got it on my calendar. That's the day that the long arm goes to the courier so I won't have anything to do that day!!!

I have dates for other shows and I'll get them together another day!!!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!

PS - I think Miss Lexi is complaining on her blog again!